1-Carbapenem-3-carboxylic esters as anti-inflammatory agents

ABSTRACT

Derivatives of 1-carbapenem-3-carboxylic esters are found to be potent elastase inhibitors and therefore are useful anti-inflammatory agents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

We have found that derivatives of 1-carbapenem-3-carboxylic esters are potent elastase inhibitors and therefore are useful anti-inflammatory agents.

Proteases from granulocytes and macrophages have been reported to be responsible for the chronic tissue destruction mechanisms associated with inflammation, including rheumatoid arthritis and emphysema. Accordingly, specific and selective inhibitors of these proteases are candidates for potent anti-inflammatory agents useful in the treatment of inflammatory conditions resulting in connective tissue destruction, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, emphysema, bronchial inflammation, osteoarthritis, spondylitis, lupus, psoriasis and acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The role of proteases from granulocytes, leukocytes or macrophages are related to a rapid series of events which occurs during the progression of an inflammatory condition:

(1) There is a rapid production of prostaglandins (PG) and related compounds synthesized from arachidonic acid. This PG synthesis has been shown to be inhibited by aspirin-related nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents including indomethacin and phenylbutazone. There is some evidence that protease inhibitors prevent PG production;

(2) There is also a change in vascular permeability which causes a leakage of fluid into the inflamed site and the resulting edema is generally used as a marker for measuring the degree of inflammation. This process has been found to be induced by the proteolytic or peptide cleaving activity of proteases, especially those contained in the granulocyte, and thereby can be inhibited by various synthetic protease inhibitors, for example, N-acyl benzisothiazolones and the respective 1,1-dioxides. Morris Zimmerman et al., J. Biol. Chem., 255, 9848 (1980); and

(3) There is an appearance and/or presence of lymphoid cells, especially macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). It has been known that a variety of proteases are released from the macrophages and PMN, further indicating that the proteases do play an important role in inflammation.

In general, proteases are an important family of enzymes within the peptide bond cleaving enzymes whose members are essential to a variety of normal biological activities, such as digestion, formation and dissolution of blood clots, the formation of active forms of hormones, the immune reaction to foreign cells and organisms, etc., and in pathological conditions such as the degradation of structural proteins at the articular cartilage/pannus junction in rheumatoid arthritis etc.

Elastase is one of the proteases. It is an enzyme able to hydrolyze the connective tissue component elastin, a property not contained by the bulk of the proteases present in mammals. It acts on a protein's nonterminal bonds which are adjacent to an aliphatic amino acid. Neutrophil elastase is of particular interest because it has the broadest spectrum of activity against natural connective tissue substrates. In particular, the elastase of the granulocyte is important because, as described above, granulocytes participate in acute inflammation and in acute exacerbation of chronic forms of inflammation which characterize many clinically important inflammatory dieseases.

Proteases may be inactivated by inhibitors which block the active site of the enzyme by binding tightly thereto. Naturally occurring protease inhibitors form part of the control or defense mechanisms that are crucial to the well-being of an organism. Without these control mechanisms, the proteases would destroy any protein within reach. The naturally occurring enzyme inhibitors have been shown to have appropriate configurations which allow them to bind tightly to the enzyme. This configuration is part of the reason that inhibitors bind to the enzyme so tightly (see Stroud, "A Family of Protein-Cutting Proteins" Sci. Am. July 1974, pp. 74-88). For example, one of the natural inhibitors, α₁ -Antitrypsin, is a glycoprotein contained in human serum that has a wide inhibitory spectrum covering, among other enzymes, elastase both from the pancreas and the PMN. This inhibitor is hydrolyzed by the proteases to form a stable acyl enzyme in which the active site is no longer available. Marked reduction in serum α₁ -antitrypsin, either genetic or due to oxidants, has been associated with pulmonary emphysema which is a disease characterized by a progressive loss of lung elasticity and resulting respiratory difficulty. It has been reported that this loss of lung elasticity is caused by the progressive, uncontrolled proteolysis or destruction of the structure of lung tissue by proteases such as elastase released from leukocytes. J. C. Powers, TIBS, 211 (1976).

Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by a progressive destruction of articular cartilage both on the free surface bordering the joint space and at the erosion front built up by synovial tissue toward the cartilage. This destruction process, in turn, is attributed to the protein-cutting enzyme elastase which is a neutral protease present in human granulocytes. This conclusion has been supported by the following observations:

(1) Recent histochemical investigations showed the accumulation of granulocytes at the cartilage/pannus junction in rheumatoid arthritis; and

(2) a recent investigation of mechanical behavior of cartilage in response to attack by purified elastase demonstrated the direct participation of granulocyte enzymes, especially elastase, in rheumatoid cartilage destruction. H. Menninger et al., in Biological Functions of Proteinases, H. Holzer and H. Tschesche, eds. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1949, pp. 196-206.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to discover new protease inhibitors, especially elastase inhibitors, useful for controlling tissue damage and various inflammatory conditions mediated by proteases particularly elastase.

Another object of the present invention is to provide pharmaceutical compositions for the administration of these protease inhibitors, i.e., the active carbapenem derivatives (1-carbapenem-3-carboxylic esters).

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a method of controlling inflammatory conditions by administering a sufficient amount of the carbapenem esters in a mammalian species in need of such treatment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to esters of known 1-carbapenem-3-carboxylic esters as potent elastase inhibitors useful in the prevention, control and treatment of inflammatory conditions especially arthritis and emphysema.

Some carbapenem free acids are known antibiotics which have been described in Belgium Pat. No. 860,962 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,873. The structural formula of these carbapenem esters are represented as follows: ##STR1## wherein

R¹ and R² are the same or different and are

(a) hydrogen;

(b) loweralkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkyl such as methyl, ethyl n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, n-pentyl, cyclopropyl, cyclopentyl, or cyclohexyl;

(c) haloloweralkyl especially halo-C₁₋₆ alkyl, for example, fluoromethyl, trifluoromethylethyl or chloromethyl;

(d) hydroxyloweralkyl especially HO--C₁₋₆ alkyl such as HOCH₂ --, CH₃ --CH(OH), (CH₃)₂ COH, HOCH₂ CH₂ -- and HOCH₂ CH(CH₃);

(e) loweralkoxyloweralkyl especially CH₃ O--C₁₋₆ alkyl such as CH₃ --CH(OCH₃), (CH₃)₂ COCH₃, CH₃ OCH₂ CH₂ --, CH₃ CH₂ CH(OCH₃);

(f) loweralkanoyloxyloweralkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkanoyloxy C₁₋₆ alkyl, e.g., ##STR2## where R³ represents C₁₋₆ alkyl especially t-butyl; benzyl or substituted benzyl, e.g., p-nitrobenzyl, o-nitrobenzyl, p-methoxybenzyl, o,p-dichlorobenzyl, m-fluorobenzyl, p-cyanobenzyl, p-(loweralkyl- or aminosulfonyl; or loweralkyl- or aminosulfinyl) benzyl, or o-methylthiobenzyl or the like;

(g) substituted or unsubstituted lower alkylene when R¹ and R² are joined together, e.g. CH₃ CH═, (CH₃)₂ C═, CH₃ CH₂ CH═, or n--C₄ H₉ CH═;

(h) loweralkoxycarbonyl-alkyl or oxyalkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkoxycarbonyl-alkyl or -oxyalkyl ##STR3## (i) loweralkoxycarbamidoloweralkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkoxycarbamido C₁₋₆ alkyl such as ##STR4## where R⁴ represents hydrogen, or C₁₋₆ alkyl; or (j) loweralkylaminocarbonylalkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkylaminocarbonylalkyl such as ##STR5## wherein R⁴ is as defined previously;

R is

(a) --S(CH₂)_(n) Ar where n is an integer from 0 to 4, Ar is unsubstituted or substituted phenyl or heteroaryl, e.g., phenyl, p-nitrophenyl, p-methoxyphenyl, p,o-difluorophenyl, m-chlorophenyl, p-(aminosulfonyl or aminosulfinyl)phenyl, p-(loweralkylsulfonyl or loweralkylsulfinyl)phenyl, o-cyanophenyl, or p-methylthiophenyl, p-azidomethylphenyl pyridyl, pyrryl or furyl; ##STR6## (c) HO--C₁₋₆ alkyl--S-- such as HO--CH₂ CH₂ --S, or ##STR7## (d) C₁₋₆ alkoxy--C₁₋₆ alkyl--S-- such as CH₃ O--CH₂ CH₂ --S--;

(e) C₁₋₆ alkyl;

(f) halo--C₁₋₆ alkyl;

(g) hydrogen; or

(h) aryl or substituted aryl (Ar) especially phenyl or substituted phenyl.

B of Formula (I) above represents hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl which can be loweralkyl, loweralkenyl alkyl, alkanoyl, alkanoylalkyl, alkanoyloxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, loweralkynyl, aralkyl, aryl, and cycloalkyl, a heterocyclic group, such as heterocyclic alkyl or heterocyclic alkenyl which can also be substituted with one or more groups such as halo(Cl, F, Br, etc.)hydroxy, alkoxy, mercapto, amino, substituted amino, nitro, loweralkyl or amino sulfonyl, sulfinyl, sulfamoyl, alkanoyloxy, carbamoyloxy, carboxy, alkanoyl carboxamido and N-substituted carboxamido. Preferably, B is aralkyl, aryl, straight or branched alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkanoyl loweralkyl or alkanoyloxy loweralkyl. Representative examples of such groups are C₁₋₆ alkyl especially methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, or t-butyl, allyl, 3-butenyl, methoxyethyl, benzyl, p-nitrobenzyl, loweralkyl or amino p-sulfonylbenzyl, m-fluorobenzyl, o,p-dinitrobenzyl, o-nitrobenzyl, o,p-dichlorobenzyl, p-methylbenzyl, m-methoxybenzyl, o-methylthiobenzyl, benzhydryl, bis(p-methoxy)-benzhydryl, triphenylmethyl(trityl), --CH₂ OCH₂ OCOt--bu, --CH₂ OCOt--Bu, and the like.

Preferably R¹ and R² are the same or different and are

(a) hydrogen;

(b) hydroxyC₁₋₆ alkyl;

(c) C₁₋₆ alkoxycarbonylC₁₋₆ alkyl or C₁₋₆ alkoxycarbonyloxyC₁₋₆ alkyl;

(d) substituted or unsubstituted loweralkylene when R¹ and R² are joined together;

R is

(a) --S(CH₂)_(n) Ar; ##STR8## (c) --SC₁₋₆ alkyl--OH; (d) C₁₋₆ alkoxy--C₁₋₆ alkyl--S--;

(e) C₁₋₆ alkyl--S--; and

B is substituted or unsubstituted

(1) aralkyl, especially arylC₁₋₁₀ alkyl such as benzyl, p-nitrobenzyl, phenethyl, p-methoxyphenylpropyl, o,p-dichlorophenyl-n-hexyl, o,p-dinitrobenzyl, benzhydryl or trityl;

(2) lower alkenylalkyl especially (CH₂)₁₋₁₀ ##STR9## where W and Y independently are hydrogen or C₁₋₆ alkyl, for example, CH₃ --CH═CH₂ ;

(3) straight or branched C₁₋₆ alkyl;

(4) straight or branched C₂₋₆ alkenyl;

(5) C₁₋₆ alkoxycarbonylC₁₋₁₀ alkyl especially (CH₂)₁₋₆ COOC₁₋₄ alkyl such as --CH₂ CH₂ COOCH₃ ;

(6) alkanoyloxyloweralkyl especially ##STR10## (7) C₁₋₆ alkylamidoC₁₋₁₀ alkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkyl amidoC₁₋₄ alkyl such as CH₃ --CONH--CH₂ CH₂ CH₂ --;

(8) alkoxyloweralkyl especially C₁₋₆ alkoxyC₁₋₆ alkyl such as CH₃ OCH₂ CH₂ ;

(9) C₁₋₆ alkylaminocarbonylC₁₋₁₀ alkyl especially C₁₋₄ alkylaminocarbonylC₁₋₆ alkyl such as C₂ H₅ NHCOCH₂ CH₂ --; or

(10) halo loweralkyl especially chloro or fluoroC₁₋₆ alkyl such as 2,2,2-trichloroethyl. Even more preferably,

R¹ is hydrogen;

R² is

(a) --CH₂ OH, CH₃ CHOH, or (CH₃)₂ COH;

(b) CH₃ CH(OCOR³) or CH₃ CH(OCO₂ R³) where R³ represents benzyl; or substituted benzyl; or

(c) CH₃ CHNHCOOR³ ;

R is ##STR11##

B is substituted or unsubstituted

(a) benzyl o- or p-nitrobenzyl;

(b) benzhydryl or trityl;

(c) ethyl, isopropyl or t-butyl;

(d) --CH₂ CH₂ CH═CH₂

(e) allyl;

(f) C₁₋₆ alkanoyloxymethyl;

(g) C₁₋₆ alkanoylmethyl;

(h) trichloroethyl;

(i) CH₂ COCH₂ OCOt--Bu; or

(j) phthalidyl.

The compounds of structural formula (I) where B is other than hydrogen can be prepared from the free acid corresponding to formula (I) according to conventional methods of esterification. For example,

(1) A free carbapenem acid is treated with a lower alkanol, a substituted or unsubstituted benzyl alcohol, or a substituted or unsubstituted benzhydrol(diphenylmethanol) in the presence of a catalyst such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and any one or a combination of the acid illustrated below in Table I

TABLE I Catalysts for Esterification

(1) Hydrochloric acid or hydrobromic acid

(2) Sulfuric acid

(3) C₁₋₃ alkanoic acid e.g. acetic acid

(4) Phosphoric acid

(5) Trifluoroacetic acid or anhydride

(6) Trichloroacetic acid

(7) p-Toluenesulfonic acid or other arylsulfonic acids

(8) Acidic ion-exchange resins with calcium sulfate

(9) Polymer-protected aluminium chloride, e.g., a complex between anhydrous aluminium chloride and polystyrene-divinyl benzene copolymer diphenylphosphitepyridine

(10) A Lewis acid such as boron trifluoride

(11) Aromatic sulfonylchloride-pyridine, e.g., p-toluenesulfonylchloride

(12) triphenylphosphine ditriflate

(13) dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD)

(14) β-trichloromethyl-β-propiolactone

(15) N,N'-carbonyldimidazole

(16) triphenylphosphinediethylazodicarbonylate

(17) 6-chlorobenzensulfonyloxybenzotriazole

(18) 1-methyl-2-halopyridinium iodide-tertiary amine (e.g., triethylamine).

at from about 0° to about 150° C. with or without refluxing until the esterification is substantially complete. Optionally, a solvent may be used to facilitate the reaction. The common solvents used are benzene, toluene, xylene, sulfolane-xylene, diethylether, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, dioxane and the like;

(2) A carbapenem free acid corresponding to formula (I) is converted to an acid halide such as acid chloride or bromide via treatment with a halogenating agent such as thienyl chloride, phosphorus penta- or oxychloride followed by reaction with an appropriate alcohol.

Other methods such as alkylation of carboxylate salts (e.g., K⁺, Na⁺, Ca⁺⁺, Ag⁺, Cu⁺, tetralkylammonium-R₄ N⁺, and Hg⁺⁺ salts) of formula (I) with alkyl halides, for example, benzylchloride, benzyhydryl chloride; reaction with alkyl isoureas; treatment with diazomethane; alcoholysis of anhydride derived from the carbapenem acid of formula (I); transformation with alkyl t-butyl ethers; and the like may also be used. These methods are disclosed in Saul Patai, editor, The Chemistry of Functional Groups, Supplement B, The Chemistry of Acid Derivatives, pp. 441-436, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester-New York-Brisbane-Toronto, 1979, and are incorporated herein by reference.

This invention also relates to a method of treating inflammation in patients using a compound of Formula (I) as the active constituent.

It has been found that the compounds of Formula (I) have anti-inflammatory activity and are effective in the prevention and inhibition of edema and granuloma tissue formation as shown below in Table II by the effective inhibition of the proteolytic function of human granulocyte elastase.

TABLE II

Protocol--Enzyme Assays for the Inhibition of Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Elastase Via Hydrolysis of N-t-Boc-alanyl-alanyl-prolylalanine-p-nitroanilide

Reagents

0.05M TES (N-tris[hydroxymethyl]methyl-2-amino-ethanesulfonic acid) Buffer, pH 7.5.

0.2 mM N-to-Boc-alanyl-alanyl-Prolyl-Alanine-p-nitroanilide (Boc-AAPAN).

To prepare substrate, the solid (m.w. 550) was first dissolved in 10.0 ml DMSO. Buffer at pH 7.5 was then added to a final volume of 100 ml.

Crude extract of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) containing elastase activity.

Inhibitors (carbapenem esters) to be tested dissolved in DMSO just before use.

Assay Procedure

To 1.0 ml of 0.2 mM Boc-AAPAN in a cuvette, 0.01-0.1 ml of DMSO with or without inhibitor was added. After mixing, a measurement was taken at 410 mμ to detect any spontaneous hydrolysis due to presence of test compound. 0.05 Milliliters of PMN extract was then added and the ΔOD/min at 410 mμ was measured and recorded. Beckman model 35 spectrophotometer was used.

Results

Results were reported as % inhibition produced by test compound within 2 minutes as represented by the % decrease in ΔOD/min as compared to a control without inhibitor.

Comments

The elastase activity in the crude PMN extract may vary from one preparation to another. A control of each new batch is run, and the volume added in the assay procedure is adjusted according to activity.

    __________________________________________________________________________     RESULTS                                                                        The following table summarizes the inhibition of PMN                           elastase by various esters:                                                    __________________________________________________________________________      ##STR12##                                                                                                          Conc. %                                   B       R              R.sup.1, R.sup.2                                                                             μg/ml                                                                           Inhibition*                           __________________________________________________________________________     Benzyl  SCH.sub.2 C.sub.6 H.sub.5                                                                     R.sup.2 = HOCH.sub.2                                                                         50  97                                    (B.sub.z)                                                                              (SBZ)          R.sup.1 = H   10  93                                                                         5   90                                                                         1   77                                                                         5   40                                      p-nitro benzyl (PNB)                                                                  ##STR13##                                                                                     ##STR14##    50 20                                                                              73 47                                   PNB   SBZ                                                                                            ##STR15##    50 20                                                                              75 50                                   PNB                                                                                   ##STR16##                                                                                     ##STR17##    20 5                                                                               100 63                                  PNB                                                                                   ##STR18##                                                                                     ##STR19##    20 5 1 .5                                                                          100 93 72 21                            PNB   SCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH                                                                          ##STR20##    50 20                                                                              95 84                                   o-nitro benzyl (ONB)                                                                  ##STR21##                                                                                     ##STR22##    50 10 5 2 1                                                                        79 76 74 66  59                         ONB   H                                                                                              ##STR23##    50 20 10 5                                                                         82 72 57 23                             ONB   H                                                                                              ##STR24##    20 10 5 2 1 0.5                                                                    88 88 85 78 46 27                       ONB   B.sub.Z N.sub.3                                                                                ##STR25##    50 20 10 5                                                                         85 68 63 46                           __________________________________________________________________________                         ##STR26##                                                                                       Conc. %                                                      R        R.sup.2  μg/ml                                                                           Inhibition*                           __________________________________________________________________________                        PES      CH.sub.3 CH(OH)                                                                         20  100                                                                        5   93                                                                         1   71                                                                         0.5 32                                                        ##STR27##                                                                               ##STR28##                                                                              50 25 10                                                                           55 45 29                              __________________________________________________________________________      *Measured within 2 minutes. See Results, page 16.                        

Accordingly, the compounds of Formula (I) can be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain in diseases such as emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, bronchial inflammation, infectious arthritis, rheumatic fever and the like.

For treatment of inflammation, fever or pain, the compounds of Formula (I) may be administered orally, topically, parenterally, by inhalation spray or rectally in dosage unit formulations containing conventional non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, adjuvants and vehicles. The term parenteral as used herein includes subcutaneous injections, intravenous, intramuscular, intrasternal injection or infusion techniques. In addition to the treatment of warm-blooded animals such as mice, rats, horses, dogs, cats, etc., the compounds of the invention are effective in the treatment of humans.

The pharmaceutical compositions containing the active ingredient may be in a form suitable for oral use, for example, as tablets, troches, lozenges, aqueous or oily suspensions, dispersible powders or granules, emulsions, hard or soft capsules, or syrups or elixirs. Compositions intended for oral use may be prepared according to any method known to the art for the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions and such compositions may contain one or more agents selected from the group consisting of sweetening agents, flavoring agents, coloring agents and preserving agents in order to provide pharmaceutically elegant and palatable preparation. Tablets contain the active ingredient in admixture with non-toxic pharmaceutically acceptable excipients which are suitable for the manufacture of tablets. These excipients may be for example, inert diluents, such as calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, lactose, calcium phosphate or sodium phosphate; granulating and disintegrating agents, for example, maize starch, or alginic acid; binding agents, for example starch, gelatin or acacia, and lubricating agents, for example magnesium stearate, stearic acid or talc. The tablets may be uncoated or they may be coated by known techniques to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action over a longer period. For example, a time delay material such as glyceryl monostearate or glyceryl distearate may be employed.

Formulations for oral use may also be presented as hard gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with an inert solid diluent, for example, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or kaolin, or as soft gelatin capsules wherein the active ingredient is mixed with water or an oil medium, for example peanut oil, liquid paraffin, or olive oil.

Recent studies indicate that esterification of the carboxyl group of β-lactam antibiotics can improve significantly the oral bioavailability of the parent drug. See W. E. Wright et al., The Journal of Antibiotics, XXXII, No. 11, 1155 (1979). Accordingly, esters of the compounds of formula (I) which can be easily hydrolyzed to acids of formula (I) such as acetoxymethyl ester, (5-methyl or alkyl-2-oxo-1,3-dioxolen-4-yl)unethyl ester or methoxymethyl ester of compound (I) are prepared for oral formulation. For example, oral solutions or suspensions may be prepared from an acetoxymethyl ester of compound (I) in saline or 50% aqueous propylene glycol.

Aqueous suspensions contain the active materials in admixture with excipients suitable for the manufacture of aqueous suspensions. Such excipient are suspending agents, for example sodium carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium alginate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, gum tragacanth and gum acacia; dispersing or wetting agents may be a naturally-occurring phosphatide, for example lecithin, or condensation products of an alkylene oxide with fatty acids, for example polyoxyethylene stearate, or condensation products of ethylene oxide with long chain aliphatic alcohols, for example heptadecaethyleneoxycetanol, or condensation products of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and a hexitol such as polyoxethylene sorbitol monooleate, or condensation products of ethylene oxide with partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitol anhydrides, for example polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate. The said aqueous suspensions may also contain one or more preservatives, for example ethyl, or n-propyl, p-hydroxybenzoate, one or more coloring agents, one or more flavoring agents, and one or more sweetening agents, such as sucrose or saccharin.

Oily suspension may be formulated by suspending the active ingredient in a vegetable oil, for example arachis oil, olive oil, sesame oil or coconut oil, or in a mineral oil such as liquid paraffin. The oily suspensions may contain a thickening agent, for example beeswax, hard paraffin or cetyl alcohol. Sweetening agents such as those set forth above, and flavoring agents may be added to provide a palatable oral preparation. These compositions may be preserved by the addition of an antioxidant such as ascorbic acid.

Dispersible powders and granules suitable for preparation of an aqueous suspension by the addition of water provide the active ingredient in admixture with a dispersing or wetting agent, suspending agent and one or more preservatives. Suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents are exemplified by those already mentioned above. Additional escipients, for example sweetening, flavoring and coloring agents, may also be present.

The pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may also be in the form of oil-in-water emulsions. The oily phase may be a vegetable oil, for example olive oil or arachis oils, or a mineral oil, for example liquid paraffin or mixtures of these. Suitable emulsifying agents may be naturally-occurring gums, for example gum acacia or gum tragacanth, naturally-occurring phosphatides, for example soy bean, lecithin, and esters or partial esters derived from fatty acids and hexitol anhydrides, for example sorbitan mono-oleate, and condensation products of the said partial esters with ethylene oxide, for example polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate. The emulsions may also contain sweetening and flavoring agents.

Syrups and elixirs may be formulated with sweetening agents, for example glycerol, sorbitol or sucrose. Such formulations may also contain a demulcent, a preservative and flavoring and coloring agents. The pharmaceutical compositions may be in the form of a sterile injectable aqueous or oleagenous suspension. This suspension may be formulated according to the known art using those suitable dispersing or wetting agents and suspending agents which have been mentioned above. The sterile injectable preparation may also be a sterile injectable solution or suspension in a non-toxic parenterally-acceptable diluent or solvent, for example as a solution in 1,3-butane diol. Among the acceptable vehicles and solvents that may be employed are water, Ringer's solution and isotonic sodium chloride solution. In addition, sterile, fixed oils are conventionally employed as a solvent or suspending medium. For this purpose any bland fixed oil may be employed including synthetic mono- or diglycerides. In addition, fatty acids such as oleic acid find use in the preparation of injectables.

The compounds of Formula (I) may also be administered in the form of suppositories for rectal administration of the drug. These compositions can be prepared by mixing the drug with a suitable non-irritating excipient which is solid at ordinary temperatures but liquid at the rectal temperature and will therefore melt in the rectum to release the drug. Such materials are cocoa butter and polyethylene glycols.

For topical use, creams, ointments, jellies, solutions or suspensions, etc., containing the anti-inflammatory agents are employed.

Dosage levels of the order to 0.2 mg to 140 mg per kilogram of body weight per day are useful in the treatment of the above-indicated conditions (10 mg to 7 gms. per patient per day). Preferably, the dosage is from about 0.5 to 50 mg of the compound per kilogram of body weight per day (25 mg to 3.5 gms per patient per day). Advantageously, from about 2 mg to about 20 mg per kilogram of body weight per daily dosage produces highly effective results (50 mg to 1 gm per patient per day).

The amount of active ingredient that may be combined with the carrier materials to produce a single dosage form will vary depending upon the host treated and the particular mode of administration. For example, a formulation intended for the oral administration of humans may contain from 5 mg to 5 gm of active agent compounded with an appropriate and convenient amount of carrier material which may vary from about 5 to about 95 percent of the total composition. Dosage unit forms will generally contain between from about 25 mg to about 500 mg of active ingredient.

It will be understood, however, that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including the activity of the specific compound employed, the age, body weight, general health, sex, diet, time of administration, route of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination and the severity of the particular disease undergoing therapy. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of treating anti-inflammatory conditions comprising the administration to a mammalian species in need of such treatment a therapeutic effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition containing an active compound of formula: ##STR29## wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and are(a) hydrogen; (b) CH₃ CH(OH)-- or CH₂ (OH)--; ##STR30## (d) when R¹ and R² are joined together, CH₃ CH═; or ##STR31## R is ##STR32## (c) --SCH₂ CH₂ OH; ##STR33## ##STR34## or (f) hydrogen; B is benzyl or benzyl substituted with NO₂.
 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the compound is of formula: ##STR35##
 3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the compound is of formula ##STR36##
 4. A pharmaceutical composition for treating inflammatory conditions, fever and pain in mammalian species comprising a non-toxic pharmaceutical carrier and a therapeutic effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition containing an active compound of structural formula: ##STR37## wherein R¹ and R² are the same or different and are(a) hydrogen; (b) CH₃ CH(OH)-- or CH₂ (OH)--; ##STR38## (d) when R¹ and R² are joined together, CH₃ CH═; or ##STR39## R is ##STR40## (c) --SCH₂ CH₂ OH; ##STR41## ##STR42## or (f) hydrogen; B is benzyl or benzyl substituted with NO₂.
 5. The composition according to claim 4 wherein the compound is of formula: ##STR43##
 6. The composition according to claim 4 wherein the compound is of formula ##STR44## 